1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spinning reel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a spinning reel configured to be mounted to a fishing rod for reeling out a fishing line in a forward direction.
2. Background Information
A spinning reel is generally configured to wind a fishing line about an axis generally parallel to the axial direction of a fishing rod. A conventional spinning reel includes a reel main unit, a spool, a rotor and a rotor drive mechanism. The reel main unit has a handle and is configured to be mounted to a fishing rod. The spool is mounted to the reel main unit in such a fashion that it can move to and fro along a longitudinal direction. The rotor is configured and arranged to guide the fishing line to the spool. The rotor drive mechanism is configured to rotate the rotor when the handle is rotated.
The rotor drive mechanism has a face gear and a pinion gear. The pinion gear is arranged and configured to mesh with the face gear. The handle is non-rotatably mounted to the face gear. The pinion gear is a tubular member made of brass that is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the reel main unit and rotatably supported by the reel main unit.
A toothed section is configured to mesh with the face gear. The toothed section is formed on an outside circumference of a rearward portion of the pinion gear. A mounting section for non-rotatably mounting the rotor to the pinion gear is provided on an outside circumference of a frontward portion of the pinion gear. An externally threaded section is formed on the mounting section. A nut member for fastening the rotor is installed onto the externally threaded section. The spool is mounted on a frontward end of a spool shaft. The spool shaft passes through an internal circumference of the pinion gear. The spool shaft is supported on the internal circumference of the pinion gear such that the spool shaft moves freely to and fro in the longitudinal direction. The spool shaft is made of a stainless steel alloy. The spool shaft contacts an entire length of the internal circumference of the pinion gear.
Since the spool shaft is supported by the entire length of the internal circumference of the pinion gear in this conventional spinning reel structure, the contact pressure between the internal circumference of the pinion gear and the spool shaft increases when a large load acts on the spool and causes the spool shaft to flex. Consequently, there are times when a friction force between the spool shaft and the pinion gear increases, making it more difficult for the pinion gear to rotate. As a result, the rotation efficiency of the rotor declines and the efficiency with which the fishing line is wound (reeled in) declines.
One known method of resolving this problem is to provide a gap between the internal circumference of the pinion gear and the spool shaft and provide a pair of support parts that are arranged in frontward and rearward portions, respectively, inside the pinion gear. The support parts are configured to support the spool shaft in such a fashion that the spool shaft freely moves along the axial direction (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-206287). This approach makes it more difficult for the friction force to increase between the spool shaft and the rotor when the spool shaft flexes and thus, suppresses the tendency for the rotation efficiency of the rotor to decline.
However, since the spool shaft is supported on the pair of support parts provided inside frontward and rearward portions of the internal circumference of the pinion gear, an outer circumference of the spool shaft contacts the support parts of the pinion gear. Thus, when the spool shaft moves in the longitudinal direction, the outer circumference of the spool shaft is in sliding contact with the support parts of the pinion gear. Consequently, there is the possibility that the contact pressure between the support parts of the pinion gear and the outer circumference of the spool shaft will increase and cause the friction force between the spool shaft and the pinion gear to increase. If the friction force between the spool shaft and the pinion gear increases, the pinion gear will not rotate as readily and the rotation efficiency of the rotor could decline further.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved spinning reel that suppresses a decline in rotation efficiency of the rotor. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.